Raiders OTAs Have Already Identified 1 Potential X-Factor

The Las Vegas Raiders' roster overhaul will be largely led by rookies who have been and will continue to be added over the next few seasons. The Raiders' plans for fixing their roster will center around adding young talent that can be developed, and that will be with the team for years to come.

Raiders' New-Look Defense

Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak's decision to promote Rob Leonard to defensive coordinator quickly affected everything on that side of the ball. After Leonard's promotion, Las Vegas quickly switched its defensive scheme and made several additions and subtractions to the roster in preparation.

Las Vegas' attention to its defensive backfield was one of the most noteworthy parts of its offseason. They re-signed Eric Stokes, traded for Taron Johnson, and added four additional defensive backs in the NFL Draft. Those moves confirmed how badly Las Vegas' defensive backfield needed help.

Of those four defensive backs that were added, rookie safety Treydan Stukes enters the season with the highest expectations. In fact, Stukes enters the 2026 season expected to make a more immediate impact than No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza.

Spot for Stukes

With safeties Jeremy Chinn and Isaiah Pola-Mao set to become free agents after the 2026 season, Stukes' importance to the Raiders' plans moving forward was never in doubt. Additionally, Stukes, who most considered a first-round talent, was bound to make an impact in 2026.

However, Organized Team Activities gave an idea of just how critical Stukes will be to the Raiders' defense. Las Vegas will not gradually bring Stukes along like they plan to do with Mendoza. Las Vegas' coaching staff plans on Stukes being a vital part of their defensive plans in 2026.

Specifically, OTAs made it very apparent that the Raiders plan to heavily involve Stukes in their defensive game plans and will likely do so sooner rather than later. Based on OTAs, Stukes has the potential, in conjunction with the other moves the Raiders made, to help turn the defense around.

A defensive backfield in which Stukes can contribute early would be yet another step in the Raiders' rebuild. Las Vegas' defense, and team as a whole, are far from a finished product. Yet, Stukes' potential in the Raiders' defense was already on display in OTAs this week.

Stukes will be an X-factor for the Raiders this season and beyond. Stukes gives the Raiders another versatile defensive back who can help them in several ways. The more they can find a way to get Stukes on the field this season, the quicker he will develop and the better he will be.

However, not only will he be better the more he sees the field, but the Raiders' defense as a whole will be. The rookie defensive back is determined to be an asset.

“I think building a great team starts with being a great teammate first, and that's something I learned the importance of throughout my entire football career, honestly. And coming in as a rookie, you want to be confident, you want to be ready to learn, but you want to learn from the vets. You want to learn from the coaching staff. And that's what I'm here to do,” Stukes said.

“I'm going to steal knowledge from everyone I can. I'm going to copy the vets that have done it right and have been succeeding for years at this at this level. And then, yeah, as far as leadership, just kind of continuing to be a guy that I had built at Arizona. If I need to take up a leadership role, obviously playing safety, you're kind of the quarterback of the defense, I'll be ready to step into that position, because I've done it before."

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